We have something for everyone in this issue of the dispatch with a re-write of the Chatglove article, a brand new Comic Strip Contest as well as some great articles in every section! . Make sure you check out the interrogation of thenobodies80 as well, to see the answers he has given to your questions .

Oh no! The Cook is in trouble. Our editor has misplaced the text from his and his wife's speech bubbles! Can you help the Cook by filling the speech bubbles?

Click image to enlarge.

This issue's The Cook is something different. We're holding a contest to fill the above comic strip with Funny. Be creative and think of something funny to fill the speech bubbles with. The winner will be awarded with 3 months of premium and a contest medal!

So now that you now what's at stake, here's how you enter the contest.

1. Come up with the funny.2. Write down your text in the following format -

Title = blahblah (optional)#1 = blahblah#2 = blahblah#3 = blahblah

Where "Title" refers to the title, #1 refers to the first speech bubble, #2 to the second etc.

It has been another busy three weeks for Conquer Club, including another exciting event hosted by the entertainment team, the third whac-a-mod tournament! Many CCers and mods highly enjoyed this competition and below you shall find a joint article written by me and new discussions moderator and newsletter writer iamkoolerthanu about the fun had during the tournament. Also, this edition following on from the controversy of the last edition's article about the Chatglove, I have written a revised review of the plug-in, which I hope people shall appreciate for giving the plug-in the respect it deserves. elfish_lad and deathcomesrippin have also provided us with free-lance articles about Conquer Club experiences, From the Pit... and Yellow's Rampage. That is not all as we also have an interrogation of foundry moderator thenobodies80. Enjoy!

On the weekend of the 15th to the 17th Conquer Club hosted their third Whac-a-Mod competition, this time with a host of new moderators including numerous Brigadiers and Colonels who were getting ready to be whaced! A previously popular competition that has been a great success in the past, not least for the wonderful contest medal that is easily up for grabs if you whac a mod! Hype for the event began on the 14th with samuelc812's announcement and with many standard team games already made for CCers to request to join. The tournament officially began on the 15th with a host of speed games created as well as games set up for freemiums to join. "Bring it! " said clapper011 but would the tournament be as successful as the previous tournaments? iamkoolerthanu discusses below:

iamkoolerthanu wrote:Whac-a-Mod III. Success? Failure?As most of you (should) know, the Whac-a-Mod III competition ended just recently. Although there was a few early-starts, it was, for the most part, a success. Lets hear what a few of the mods thought about the competition:

JoshyBoy wrote:Whac-a-Mod III was a great experience

natty_dread wrote:[In one game] I had a killer drop, but the dice really shat on my face on several occasions

AndyDufresne wrote:I look forward to the next Whac-a-Mod

TheForgivenOne wrote:[There were no negative sides to this competition] unless you count losing to a cook a negative

Well, we can tell that the mods had an amazing time, but what does the community think?

b00kw0rm wrote:my game with The Fuzzy Pengui [had] lots of comebacks! Game 6996556

HighlanderAttack wrote:Game 6984501 I really had a great dice game against Pander88uk

As you can tell, everyone that participated in Whac-a-Mod III had an amazing time!

Overall, as iamkoolerthanu points out, the tournament was a roaring success with only a few embarrassing screw ups by the mods Game 6989706. 615 games were played in total, 89 more than the previous whac-a-mod tournament and 411 players participated in total, 60 more than the previous tournament! As for the final score? Well, it currently stands at 308-285 to the mods with 19 games ongoing, so it looks like victory to the mods! Also, congratulations to the Admins for winning the whac-an-Admin game for the first time ever,Game 6994809, turns out they have some risk skill after all!

Drop. Great. They dropped Ozland, and all of Southern Asia. Again. Random my...Cards. Sweet. Two pair. 8's over 6's. For the third time this game. Random my...Partners. Dude. Do you ever read game chat?!?!Maps. Waterloo. My favorite. ~grimace~ Settings. Oh. This is nukes. Sorry partner!!!Strategy. Okay team. How about this time we win!Technique. Stick your tongue out, grab Slim-Willie then you attack! Sheesh.Smarts. Does anyone remember my password?!?!Adaptability. Hmm... Okay then. Those were my troops you killed. Plan "B" anyone?Experience. Yeah! I rock that map. Played it twice already.Discretion. Stop. Stop attacking. Stop attacking NOW!!! Stop... #$%&$%#@@!!!

All of these things (and many more of course) come into play when you play at CC. If you were to rate each of these areas from 1 to 5 (1 being low) the higher your cumulative score the stronger the odds that you are going to win. Makes sense doesn’t it. It’s not rocket surgery.

So that’s it? Take it to the bank? Hmm… hold on there Steinway. There are a couple of other factors to consider.Your Opponents.

They may not play the way you expect, want, like or desire. Sucks don’t it. So just go ahead and yell at them. It will make you feel better. (At least I assume my opponents feel better after yelling at me.) Or they may just be better than you thought. Or… heaven forbid… they might just be better than you in spite of what you think. Sucks don’t it. But it can be exciting too. For instance a long standing doubles partner and I were pushed to the wall a couple of weeks ago by a cook and a private. I mean they pushed us hard. They countered EVERYTHING we threw at them and then some. It was awesome… and surprising. I like those kind of surprises. It doesn’t hurt that we ended up winning either. But still, your opponents will have a say in the outcome of any given game.

Some days you just suck.

It happens. In fact it happens to everyone from time to time. No matter what your ego says. Maybe it’s because you are busy at work, or on the run from the law, or you have that crazy whacked out exam tomorrow at school: some days you just bite. Or perhaps (CENSOR’S NOTE: The next sentence is PG13) you haven’t had sex _______________ (Please fill in the blank. Answers may range from “ever” to “since noon” depending upon your age and libido.) and this may have an impact on your ability to concentrate. But some days, some games, the moon is in the left quadrant and you just plain old smell bad. Happens. But go ahead and yell at your teammates. It will make you feel better. (At least I assume my teammates feel better after yelling at me.)

And finally: The Big Lebowski…

This is a dice game. A game of chance. You can score high in every other category mentioned and be prepared in every single way for a game and the damn dice, random or not, can still kick your arse. Dude. Some days. 14 troops just can’t beat 2. No matter the logic. So, you can stop trying to figure it out if you want. Or not. But your feelings will still be hurt and your 14 troops dead all the same... if you can't put down the damn dice!

Right. Now that you know all the secrets to success jump in there and get you some! And remember, no matter the outcome of the match, you are STILL sexy as hell... regardless of what they say!

So the last edition of the newsletter drew up a lot of controversy for Minister Masket’s article on the Chatglove application with a lot of CCers complaining about the biased article and argued that Minister Masket clearly hadn’t done enough research. Upon reading this criticism, I thought I would give the application a spin and find out what the hype was about it. Once installed, one thing I immediately noticed was a new option on the Game Menu, which was Game Chat and I had 5 new to read! First game, I went to was my Austerlitz triples, being played with fellow bandits and decided to test out the detach chat button. This was very useful as I was able to follow and discuss strategy with my clan-mates, whilst still having the map directly on the screen!

Click image to enlarge.

The next place I thought I would test the plugin out was with a freestyle speed game and this is where the plugin really shines:

Click image to enlarge.

By keeping the chat box right next to the map, whilst playing the game, I was able to follow everything everyone was saying and keeping my eye on the board for any sudden movements. Overall, I found the application highly useful in the fact that it keeps me up to date with the chat that is going on with my games and prevents me from accidently missing any important message that may be in the chat, be it a message from a team member or a request from an opponent of mine. I would highly recommend people from checking out this application which can be found here

Yellow was warm. His helmet, not made to keep his head cool, had sweat dripping down from under it, running through his beard and off his nose. Yellow held his sword and shield, and from his position in Thrace, could see the forces of Byzantium gathering around below him. Through the clouds of dust, and the waves of heat, he could see more and more reinforcements working their way into the province.

A young Yellow, sitting off to the side with the rank of Yellow-in-Command, ordered the lines of the phalanx. "Milord, what are your orders? The men are gathered and waiting, sir."

Yellow seemed not to hear him, lost in thought as he was watching the numerous forces arrive. Finally, after what seemed to be minutes, the flow stopped, and well over 30 men were there. Yellow knew that their Lady Luck was needed to break the forces here. He knew that if he could break the back of Green, Red and Blue would squabble over the East long enough for Yellow to gain a strong position, and with flat rate reinforcements, win the war. Twelve Yellows, twelve brave Yellow men, stood behind him. He summoned his 6 reinforcements, along with 4 more from his flat rate, and, for a final time, looked at his countrymen. Clearing his throat, he told a stirring tale of courage, sacrifice, and victory, raising the morale of his men. For what he believed to be the final time, he addressed his troops.

He pointed his blade at the horde of Green below. "Men, I know that you have followed me for a long time. I know the trials we have been through to achieve what we have achieved. But, I say to you, even with the stronger force facing us, we cannot stay our hand. The enemy grows stronger, and gains men from many regions. Their numbers are legion, and only our bravery and steadfast resolve stands between freedom and slavery for the world. Join me, in one last assault upon this bastion of evil!!"

The men roared their approval, and the phalanx marched forward. Jeers and taunts flew across. Yellow could almost read it, the sounds were so loud, calling him suicidal, saying there was no reason to waste both borders, Green was not going to attack this turn. Yellow would hear nothing of it. He saw Greens line, deeper than his own, brace for the impact of shield upon shield, spear to spear, sword to sword. Blood would fill the ocean today. Yellow looked into the eyes of a Green, barely past puberty. For a moment, just before contact, it seemed life stood still. only the two of them remained, locked in an eternal stare.

Yellow rolled.

Greens fell all around him, a spray of blood from the Green he had made eye contact with blinded him momentarily. He ripped his helmet free, and wiped his eyes. Another slash, another two Greens died. Within the first few rolls of the Gods' dice, Yellow had slain 6 Green, and the slaughter continued. Slowly, the jeers turned to screams of pain and death, and before he could understand through the rage of battle, Yellow had conquered, with only 4 dead!! With a scream of primal rage, he fell upon the next province, forcing his way into the country until he had it all. No losses. He looked out int othe next land, seeing nothing but Red and Blue troops swarming over it. His commanders urged him to stop, but the Gods were with him!! He commanded the charge, and began the slaughter anew.

I'm an Italian boy, almost 30 years old, that live near Milan. Like most people that live here, I work in the constructions, but honestly I visit the construction sites only when I do an inspection. For the most of my working time I am in front of a computer using some software to project plants for civil or industrial uses. Staying in office is a very good thing because it allows me to check Conquer Club during the day. I'm also a faithful and long date boyfriend, a loving owner of several animals of different species (my house looks like a zoo), and a pianist. But I could go on for hours .... then, what's the next question?

Q. What brought you to Conquer Club?

Just a case. An evening I was with some friends playing italian risk and one of them showed me the site.

Q. To add on to this...what keeps you here at Conquer Club?

The things I do and that I love to do on CC

Q. What do you see yourself doing in the next couple of years, on or off Conquer Club?

Absolutely on! Until this site will be fun I see no reason to see myself off.

Q. What made you want to join team CC?

The desire to collaborate in the mechanism that makes this a great site and my love for the maps/mapmaking.

Q. What was the inspiration for your username?

Except for the 80 that is self explanatory, my username is a tricky thing. I can say that i found the final inspiration reading a book "One, No one and One Hundred Thousand" by Luigi Pirandello

Q. How did you become so awesome?

...seriously, i'm not awasome.

Q. Are blue shoes comfortable?

The best shoes that I've ever worn, so comfortable that I have no intention to take them off.

Q. What would you do if you were made admin of this site?

I would try to improve the International part of Conquer Club

Q. If your brother was to play Conquer Club, would he be called the somebodies?

I prefer to consider us a team, but if i must pick two, i choose the two "old generation" boys: iancanton and MrBenn.

Q. Who is your favourite mod?

If i have to pick a name from the whole TeamCC i say Andy Dufresne, I think he is irreplaceable. If we want to keep out the admins i say MrBenn, but i'm biased, because i think that our friendship is going beyond the CC site and it is limited only by the fact of living in two different countries.

Q. What is your favourite map?

Portugal, because it was my first love on CC.

Q. What is your worst map?

City Mogul. I don't hate it, but it hates me!

Q. What kind of XML update do you think would improve mapmaking the most?

Considering the thread we have in the foundry i must say "conditional borders".It could give a nice new game experience to everyone and a new fertile ground for mapmakers.

Q. What is the best thing you've done so far during 2010?

Put out my last cigarette

Q. What is the one thing you are most looking forward to during the rest of 2010?

Find a way to sleep for more than five hours per night

Q. How did you find the experience of making your first map? Do you still speak with Pikkio? Is there anybody else you hope to make a map with?

On the whole i can say exciting, but sometimes frustrating.Team up with someone was the best choice, it makes everything easier to manage, more over if it's your first attempt. Pikkio was a good teammate althought it's been a while i don't heard him. I know he was busy with other projects not CC related (for example his "sticky man" games site) and his current "sabbatical time" from the map making is something I was aware. Certainly team up with someone else to create a new map is definitely something I want to do again; the.killing.44, samuelc812, Gilligan, MrBenn to name few.

Q. What map would you most like to see revamped, graphics and/or gameplay?

Africa, but not because it looks old. The graphics belongs to another generation, but the thing that leaves me disappointed is that it doesn't give to me a "african feeling", if you know what i mean.

Q. Do you feel there should be regular revamps of maps? Looking at the quality of maps between the ones that were made near the beginning of the site and the ones coming out of the foundry now, you can see a large difference in graphic quality.

A regular revamp of maps is something i prefer it doesn't happen. It isn't possible to create a "timed system" to say when a map is too old. A revamp is like a jigsaw puzzle in which all the small pieces must match; I think that the community should remain the only yardstick for such type of things. Moreover, old doesn't mean bad.

Q. Do you feel that you have less time or energy for developing maps now that you're a moderator?

i have less time but not because i'm a mod

Q. Do you have any trouble with cartographers using the nazi emblem on their maps?

No, i don't. Personally i think that it should be permitted where its use is purely historical and has no offensive meaning, but this is not my business, and when i asked to remove the nazi emblem from a map is because CC has an official policy on it.

Q. Why Map Making over coding scripts or the like?

Because maps are the lifeblood of CC

Q. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsiepop?

Don't know, i bite them.

Q. What is worse? Being able to know the "meaning of life", but not be able to tell anyone? Or knowing being able to see the future, and not being able to change its outcome, for good or for worse?

i say being able to see the future. But i don't mind if i can't change it. I don't want to know it at all! Why make life boring?

Q. Specifically, what part of Italy are you from?

As, said previously i live in a small town near Milan.

Q. Consider for a moment all of the romantic stereotypes of Italian men and women. Which are generally true and which are not?

The true romantic italian man lives to see his woman smile. Being italian i'm a perfect example of this type of man. I like to spend more than I can afford to travel with her and stay in the finest hotels of the most beautiful cities, or let she finds me preparing a romantic candlelight dinner when she goes back home from work. On the other hand how can we be different, having the most beautiful and hottest women of the world?

Q. What is the closest name to Joe in Italian?

Beppe

Q. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Australia, i want to visit this country since i was a child. I've always been fascinated by the strange animals and the beautiful natural places that can be found there.

Q. How would you react if you transformed into a duck?

If it would happen during the hunting season I would be rather scared. Otherwise, I would be happy to have the wings.

Q. Tom or Jerry? And why?

Tom, because i hate Jerry.

Q. Who are your top 3 picks to win the football world cup in South Africa this year?

I don't need three, Italy is enough

Q. If you could push through any one change to CC in a week, which would it be?

Increase size limits for maps.

Q. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

A woodchuck would chuck all the wood that the woodchuck would chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood

Q. How much wood could a wood chuck-chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?

i give you answer only if you are able to say:"Ti che te tachet i tactacum i tac a mimi tacat i tac a titi che tachet i tactacheti ti i to tacti che te tachet i tac"

Q. How much wee would a kiwi wee if a kiwi did a wee?

omg, it's crazy. What type of interrogation is this? Q. Which team do you support from il calcio?

I don't follow it very much,but playing PES i choose Milan

Q. What's your opinion about Silvio Berlusconi?

Politics? Let's draw a veil over that! I live in Italy, here politics is lot of words and few facts. But if we're talking about the businessman, he has all my respect. I can personally say that few companies have the same quality in term of staff, organization, production and payments.

Q. Do you like the aliens we have for emoticons ?

Yes, i like them! My favourite is this one

Q. SPAS-12 or AK-47?

AK-47

Q. CoD: MW2 or CoD:WaW?

CoD: MW2 is great game, perhaps a little too short. Never played CoD: WaW

Q. Marmite, love it or hate it?

I'd like to taste it anyway, but from what people said to me, I think I would hate it.

Q. Thanks for your time thenobodies80!

In this article you will find updates on all the current, major tournament events. Read what Tupence has to say about his new position. Amazzony has provided us an interview with Lufsen75 and HiglanderAttack concerning Bring it on!!! and Bring it on!!! 2. Get your TPA fix with the “News From the Front” article. In it you will find interviews and updates.

The TPA has been underway for a little less than a month. Each newsletter the “News From the Front” article will provide you with TPA tournament updates, interviews with host and players, scoreboard alerts, and all the behind the scene information you could ask for.

barterer2002 wrote:Thus far I'm satisfied with the TPA and its progress. We've had 4 tournaments set up thus far with the 5th going tomorrow.

I think people are going to start understanding the vision a little but the early complaints seemed to be centered on making every TPA tournament bigger. That IMO would defeat the purpose of what we're trying to do here. The idea behind it was to take a cross section of CC tournaments and run with them. As an early compromise I did require at least 30 slots to be open but the smaller 1v1 bracket tournaments are an integral part of what tournament life in CC is. Not everyone likes them I understand but IMO it would be a mistake to try to do a cross section without the opportunity to reflect on some of these as well. There will certainly be larger tournaments in the TPA as well but the goal of these is not always to allow everyone to play in every tournament but rather to represent the wealth and diversity of the tournaments that CC provides.I do think that there is still a bit of the buzz. Each Monday I've seen posts from people wondering when that day's TPA will be announced. So far they've all come out around the same time, that isn't by design and they won't always be that way.

HighlanderAttack wrote:I am enjoying the TPA personally. I also believe it is very popular as most of the tourneys are filling real fast. Personally I wish everything was 1v1 but that is me .

The tourney filled really fast. 64 spots were filled in just over one day. I do contribute that to being the first tourney of the TPA though. Things have gone real smooth. 16 games just completed leaving us with the round 2. I sent out round 2 last night(May 29th) and just need one more player to join their game and we are off. I expect the Finals to begin mid June depending on how fast the games go and I would expect the tourney to be over early July.

On May 10, Tupence was announced to be the fifth Tournament Director. Although currently, Tupence is not a Tournament Director, he will resume his position in a few weeks.Night Strike,"Tupence actually has to take a couple week away from the TD group as he finishes his semester and isn't online much. But once he returns in the middle of June, there should be some good things coming." This is not Tupence's first Team CC position. About eight months ago, Tupence joined the Suggestion Mod Team. Feeling unsatisfied, Tupence began looking for other opportunities in Team CC. Tupence,"I wasn't really happy being a Suggestion Mod; it just wasn't my thing."Eventually, he had a chat with Andy about the possibilities of crossing over to the Tournament department. Tupence,"...then I had a longer chat with Night Strike. He suggested the TCD position, and I snapped it up straightaway."Tupence has been involved in tournaments since 2008. He started his career with the 'Tupence's European Tournament', and continues his career, as he has several ongoing at the moment. Tupence,"I've got a fair range of tournaments going at the moment, but generally the idea of my tournaments is that they show skill on a range of maps. Also, my Quadratic tournament is for Quads teams but they have to play singles and doubles too, and Roses 2009 involves being teamed up with random partners for doubles, triples and quads. I've just started my first Assassin and Terminator tournaments so I'm pretty excited about those."His involvement in tournaments influenced him to take the Tournament Contest Director position. Tupence,"I love the Tournament part of this site though, so a Tournament Director position sounded perfect to me."Tupence’s duties will entail inventing and directing tournament contests, like the 'Best Tournament of 2009' contest.All tournament players can concluded that exciting new events will be coming soon. So, what does the future hold for Tournament Contests? Tupence,"Haha nothing I can disclose I'm afraid, but if all goes to plan, keep a look-out for something from me within the next couple of months or so.Night Strike,"Tupence will be making different contests similar to the fun ones the foundry and the entertainment teams do, but with a focus on tournaments. There are some ideas currently being tossed around.

Interview with lufsen75 about Bring It On and winner of the tournament HiglanderAttackby amazzony

In this issue I will bring you interviews with the organizer and winner of a massive tournament called Bring It On!!! [BIO!!!] which finished not long ago. It lasted over 2 years and consisted of almost 5000 games, which were played by 176 players. Some people played only a couple of games, others hundreds. One of the most active players was Lufsen75, the organizer of this incredible tournament.

Note. In all fairness it must be mentioned that the idea of the tournament came from Coleman (who wasn't able to finish what he started) so a special thanks goes out for him!

Q: Heya, Lufsen75, how are you doing? Still tired of running Bring It On!!! [BIO!!!] tournament?A: I am tired of it at the moment, but still planning on starting another one in the autumn. But with fewer rounds and the favor of those that own maps from latest Bring it On!!! tournament.

Q: Another one? Have you lost your mind? Please remind us again how many years you ran the first BIO!!! tournament.A: I believe it must have ended up in 2 and a half year or so. I started with TKT as co-organizer but he disappeared so I had to start things over again with a few weeks break and another one week breaks here and there due to having a lot to do at work. But this is a very fun tournament.

Q: So during 2.5 years, you only took a few weeks off? This is amazing commitment!A: I think it was in total 15-20 weeks off.

Q: This is still amazing, I imagine it took at least an hour per week to keep the tournament running...A: At least. Some weeks it took more. But then again it was fun.

Q: Now, be honest - you had thoughts of giving up on the tournament time to time? It couldn't be fun all the time.A: You are totally correct. But I didn't want to abandon it either. If I had to resign I would like to see another run it. But I did come back all the time to let it finish.

Q: You mentioned thekidstrumpet (TKT) before, how long did he help you? How much easier was it to run it with a co-host?A: I must say it was so much easier to have two to run this. I must also say that in one matter it is easier to run it alone due to you have more control.

Q: So - less work or more control - are you looking for a co-host for second edition? Should organizers turn to you and fight for the honor to help you run this massive tournament?A: I haven't thought of that before you said it. And I haven't thought so much more than I already told about the next season. But probably I will run it alone.

Q: You said too you'll run BIO!!! 2 in autumn, I'm sure readers are interested when exactly are you planning to launch it?A: I would say that it will come in order in September most likely.

Q: You mentioned a couple of changes to the tournament but overall it'll be the same - anybody can enter to the tournament at any time?A: In general you will see the same. It is just a few changes to make it easier for me to run it and nothing else.

Q: Thank you for the interview, for such a great tournament and best of luck with the second edition!A: I thank all that were a part of the journey.

Q: HiglanderAttack, one of the winners of BIO!!!, please describe Lufsen75's Bring It On!!! tournament with a few words.A: Basically every map was available. It was your goal to try and win the map. If you won the map you held it until someone took it away from you. There was two goals-1. to hold the map the longest and gain points and the other, which was what I won, was to hold the most maps. Q: Do you consider your victory of this massive tournament more important than any other of your wins?A: The reason this one has a lot of importance was because of the way it played out. Going down the stretch rounds 99 and 100 there was 6 players that had a chance to win. On the final week I had taken the lead by 1 and between the challenged maps and players there was 5 other players that had a chance to win. For about 10 days it looked like any of four players could win it. I ended up holding on to the victory with 12 maps, but it was so close it was really exciting.Q: Have you heard that Luf is planning to run a 2nd BIO!!!? Can we hope to have a chance to challenge you there and perhaps even push you from your throne?A: No way I would miss it. I also have a new map I really like (Monsters)--so BRING IT ON

Hello everyone! These past weeks have been slow in the Foundry. Or so it would seem, but under the surface lots of things are brewing... However, our beloved Foundry Foreman MrBenn was having some RL troubles, which means no new maps have been put in beta or quenched. Let's hope he can return to his duties soon! Anyway, in this issue we have Dolomite's history article, Bison King's Map spotlight on the Flanders map, and of course the old favorite, maps in development. Enjoy!-nd

April Gameplay Competition Ends with a War of Attrition The popular April Gameplay Contest is finally over... at the end of May!

The April Gameplay Contest challenged the community to come up with map concepts that had some relation to the month of April. After a very fruitful run, seven entries were submitted. A vote was taken on the best concept (although all of them were well done imo). Eventually, the entries were whittled down to three. The overall results, however, left no clear winner among them... what would the boys in blue do?

The decision was a run-off vote. Hoping to find a clear victor, the three combatants were sent to do battle yet again. The polls closed on Thursday, but unfortunately the result was a photo finish. Cairns' legacy map The Battle of Gallipoli (submitted by Industrial Helix) beat out 00iCon's zodiac-style Natura map by just 1 vote, with Rih0's submission of a WWII Norway map close behind. No official winner has yet been announced.

Regardless of the outcome, all of the contestants should be proud of their efforts, and I personally hope to see all of them in the Melting Pot soon. Congratulations, and a big thank-you to Mr. Benn & crew for putting on this highly successful contest.

Stop press: last minute newsMrBenn did it again... just when we think there won't be any betas/quenches for this issue, he strikes from the shadows and wham! We suddenly have additional news.

The Flanders map has entered beta-testing. To read more about this map, see The Bison King's article in this issue... Congratulations to DubWarrior, it took a while but your hard work has paid off.

Central America has also entered beta-testing. This map fills a gap in CC geography - I'm talking about the gap between North and South Americas. Like oaktown, the co-developer of this map, said, the map contends for the record of "longest time in production". Nevertheless, the waiting is finally over, so let's give a big hand to oaktown and lgoasklucyl!

This Map is not only being made by a first time map maker but a relatively new member of the CC all together. DubWarrior who has pioneered both the gameplay and the graphics of this map has only been on Conquer Club for little over a year. The new cook, (who himself is from Flanders) despite his average record keeps playing for "a love of the game" which is quite evident, since it takes a lot of dedication to pass anything through the foundry.

The map is clearly very near and dear to his heart, growing up in Flanders. The map portrays an important event in the regions history which was taught to them in grade school.

Clearly DubWarrior was paying attention in class, as I found out in our in-depth conversation...

Q: Hello.A: Hey. Good morning US

Q: How long have you been on the CC?A: I guess for a year, I started playing last summer

Q: When you joined the club did you come with the ambition of creating your own maps for the club or was that something you decided since then?A: I started just for playing the game. after a week or so i checked the forum for some questions and i noticed that the maps are made in the map foundry section with volunteers.So I decided to do one myself, sounded fun

Q: Now, do you yourself live in Flanders?A: Yes, I live in flanders, near Kortrijk (It's on the map in the middle )So it's a map about my local history, as kids we learn this story in the schools

Q: can you tell us about the story?A: Yes I focus on a battle in the year 1302. In short: Some cities in Flanders, which was a province of France back then, gained more and more power because of economic activities... they would like to gain independence and make their own decisions, but the French ruler invaded the cities who started riots.The climax ended in Kortrijk, where peasants and farmers conquered the french army.They got a short independence, for some years before the french king returned and annexed Flanders once again.Because of all the spurs found on the battlefield, they call the battle 'the battle of the golden spurs.'The french army came with knights and horses, while the army of flanders existed out of farmers, local militants and peasants.Nowadays the day is celebrated in Flanders, July 11th, it's the official holiday for the Flemish community in Belgium.

Q: Who was the French ruler at the time?A: Philip IV

Q: Is Flemish the primary language in Belgium? I know that French is spoken there as well. Would the people in your map of spoken French or Flemish?A: No, we have 3 languages: French, dutch and german.Back in those days the cities in flanders like kortrijk spoke already some early flemish (which is a sort of Dutch To recognize those who were french and lived in the cities of flanders, local inhabitants asked to pronounce a sentence. They asked to say: 'schild en de vriend' which means "Shield and friend."Those who were french couldn't pronounce it and were declared enemy.

Q: And you speak?A: I speak dutch, but also french. No german.

Q: And clearly English as well. Is it ever confusing living in a country with 3 language groups?A: Well they are kind of separated. french people live in Wallonie (Walloon in english?). Dutch people live in Flanders. German people live in the 'Oost-Kantons'.We have different goverments too (and one global belgium goverment.)But it's weird, true...there is a lot going on in the field of politics right now.People who wants a change, like in the image of the USA; more like states working together.Some politicians would like to make a confederation of Walloon and Flanders.

Q: How did these 3 regions come to be 1? and when was Belgium established as an independant state?A: we have an Independence since 1831. Flanders has been a part of the Netherlands throughout history.The Walloon area has been with french for a long time. And the same for Liege (where the german part lives) who was with germany.There has also been a spanish ruler here, and an Austrian Habsburgs one.The last ruler was the Netherlands. They exited out of the current Netherlands and the current Belgium, then the southern province of these 'Low Countries' rebelled and gained independence. At that time all Belgium inhabitants spoke french too. They also had a different faith, but they considered King William I of the Netherlands as a false king, a dictator.I guess the idea of a different identity, a belgian identity grew during all the different rulers.With language, religion and also economics of course. Some very powerful cities at that time.Sort of like, the region had been passed around from empire to empire so often that the inhabitants finally said, "you know what, we're going to take care of ourselves from now on."

Q: Well let's talk about the map again.How did you try to reflect upon the 1302 revolt in your map?A: I liked the idea of these powerful cities. So powerful they threated the king's army. I also read some articles, I learned that the french army hid in Arras after their defeat.So the power of the cities is represented with a auto-deploy +1, so they grow during the game. Brugge, where the revolt started gains an +2 autodeploy, so it becomes an important piece to take.The same with Arras, that represent the French part. Also, all regions existed at that time. Also the provinces are historically true.

Q: I can see you put a lot of thought into this map.A: hehe true, I visited a museum for it!

Q: So the blue region to the west, is that France?A: Yes, I think so, if i remember good. The yellow part (Kroon-Vlaanderen) and the blue right (Rijks-Vlaanderen) are where the province of Flanders is.I did some testgames with my brother (kartje on CC) and the map really brings that spirit of these important regions, those crossing armies and these violent cities

Q: So how have you found the foundry process?A: hmm, it's a great thing to hear all those comments of people. It's alive, but on the other hand it's not always clear how things work, who is important and whose comment is not relevant. In the beginning I tried to do all things people ask, but that's slow and often not satisfying. So I make a balance between comments and things I like to see to happen.

Q: whats your favorite map right now in the CC?A: I really like the 'First Nations of North America.' I like the gameplay and the history and the graphics. It's perfect.I also like 'fractured america'...great story.I noticed there would also be a First Nations of South America. Hope it will be that nice too.

Q: I've also seen mutterings of a First nations Africa but I think that that is little more than an Idea right now.

A: Ha, I've been playing with the idea of doing a 'ancient' africa map after this one Or an Ethiopian map. There aren't that many maps of Africa now.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to bring up?A: Yeah, I hope to see my map in Beta soon. And all comments are still welcome.

Q: I wish you the best of luck and I hope that we can be playing your map soon.A: Yes thx once again, hope a lot of people will like it.
History 101: Prohibition Chicagoby dolomite13

Based on the 1920's & 1930's Prohibition Chicago. You and your gang vie for control over the cities streets. Do you have what it takes to be the boss? The map is a creative rendering of the city with numerous connections that let you jump all over the map.

Prohibition and the gangsters are an integral part of America's history in the 1920's. America experienced the Jazz Age and the young who formed the basis of this period's fame wanted alcohol.

The 18th Amendment had banned the sale, transportation and manufacture of alcohol in America. But it was clear to some, that millions neither wanted this law nor would respect it. There was obviously a huge market for what in the 1920's was an illegal commodity. It was the gangsters who dominated various cities who provided this commodity. Each major city had its gangster element but the most famous was Chicago with Al Capone.

Capone was "Public Enemy Number 1". He had moved to Chicago in 1920 where he worked for Johnny Torrio the city's leading figure in the underworld. Capone was given the task of intimidating Torrio's rivals within the city so that they would give up and hand over to Torrio their territory. Capone also had to convince speakeasy operators to buy illegal alcohol from Torrio.

Capone was very good at what he did. in 1925, Torrio was nearly killed by a rival gang and he decided to get out of the criminal world while he was still alive. Torrio handed over to Capone his 'business'.

Within 2 years, Capone was earning $60 million a year from alcohol sales alone. Other rackets earned him an extra $45 million a year.

Capone managed to bribe both the police and the important politicians of Chicago. He spent $75 million on such ventures but considered it a good investment of his huge fortune. His armed thugs patrolled election booths to ensure that Capone's politicians were returned to office. The city's mayor after 1927 was Big Bill Thompson - one of Capone's men. Thompson said

"We'll not only reopen places these people have closed, but we'll open 10,000 new ones (speakeasies)."

For all his power, Capone still had enemies from other surviving gangs in the city. He drove everywhere in an armor plated limousine and wherever he went, so did his armed bodyguards. Violence was a daily occurrence in Chicago. 227 gangsters were killed in the space of 4 years and on St Valentine's Day, 1929, 7 members of the O'Banion gang were shot dead by gangsters dressed as police officers.

In 1931, the law finally caught up with Capone and he was charged with tax evasion. He got 11 years in jail. In prison, his health went and when he was released, he retired to his Florida mansion no longer the feared man he was from 1925 to 1931.

1923 - Al Capone establishes his headquarters at the Lexington Hotel at 22nd and Michigan Avenues in Chicago. He also gained control of the Chicago suburb of Cicero, Illinois as a safe base of his legal operations.

September 17, 1923 - George Meegan, a Chicago bootlegger allied with the Southside O'Donnell's, and Southside O'Donnell member George Bucher are killed by Frank McErlane.

April 1, 1924 - Frank Capone, brother of Al Capone, is killed by policemen during the fighting which broke out while leading around 200 gunmen into Cicero during the 1924 Chicago elections in support of Mafia-backed Republican politicians.

November 10, 1924 - North Side Gang leader Dion O'Banion is killed when three unidentified men enter his flower shop, across from Holy Name Cathedral, and shoot him several times. This begins a five-year gang war between the North Side Gang, under Hymie Weiss, and Al Capone's Chicago Outfit.

January 12, 1925 - North Side Gang members Hymie Weiss, George "Bugs" Moran, and Vincent "The Schemer" Drucci attempt to kill Al Capone at a Chicago South Side restaurant, firing at Capone's car and injuring chauffeur Sylvester Barton, but leaving Capone unharmed.

January 24, 1925 - Weiss, Moran, Drucci, and Frank "Tight Lips" Gusenberg ambush Chicago Outfit leader Johnny Torrio as he returns from shopping with his wife, shooting him several times, wounding him and his chauffeur Robert Barton. As Moran is about to kill the wounded Torrio the gun misfires and is forced to flee as the police arrive on the scene. Soon after this attack Torrio retires to Italy, and was succeeded by his lieutenant Al Capone.

February 9, 1925 - Johnny Torrio is sentenced by Judge Adam Cliffe to 9 months in the Lake County Jail in Waukegan. The jail is chosen by Torrio's lawyers as a facility necessary for Torrio to receive proper medical treatment however it was actually chosen for Torrio's protection as the prison warden Sheriff Edwin Ahlstrom was in the pay of Torrio's organization. Torrio was later escorted by Capone out of the city after his release.

June 13, 1925 - "Bloody" Angelo Genna is killed, possibly by members of the North Side Gang or the Chicago Outfit.

November 13, 1925 - Samuzzo "Samoots" Amatuna, an ally of the Genna Family, is gunned down outside a Chicago West Side barber shop by the North Side Gang.

1926 - Al Capone and his crew try to kill Myles O'Donnell and William "Klondike" O'Donnell, leaders of the Westside O'Donnell Mob, in Cicero.

August 24, 1927 - Green Ones members Anthony F. Russo and Vincent Spicuzza are killed in Chicago, supposedly lured there by the rival Cuckoos Gang in an attempt to murder Al Capone. Hours later Green Ones member Benjamin Giamonco is killed in a gunfight attempting to avenge their deaths.

July 25, 1928 - Aiello gang member Salvatore Canale is killed outside his home in Chicago.

September 7, 1928 - Capone's former consigliere and Unione Siciliane president Antonio "The Scourge" Lombardo is killed. This could have been a motivating factor for the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

1929 - Capone serves a brief sentence on a concealed weapons charge.

1929 - Tony Accardo is made head enforcer for Capone's "Chicago Outfit".

January 8, 1929 - Unione Siciliane leader Pasquale "Patsy" Lolordo is killed in his apartment supposedly by Joe Aiello and members of Moran's North Side Gang.

February 14, 1929 - Four unidentified men, dressed as Chicago police officers, storm into a North Side Street garage and murder seven members of George Bugs Moran's North Side Gang. Known as the St. Valentines Day Massacre, the attack effectively ends the five year gang war between Capone and Moran.

May 29, 1929 - Thomas McElligot of the Westside O'Donnells is killed in a Loop saloon in Chicago.

May 1932 - Outfit namesake, Al Capone, began serving his 11-year sentence for tax evasion, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was out in six years for good behavior and because of declining mental and physical health.

February 4, 1935 - Thomas Maloy is killed by two blasts from a pair of gunmen while he drove down Lake Shore Drive near the Century of Progress. FBI agent William F. Roemer believed the two gunmen were Tony Accardo and Gus Alex.

A Map of Chicago's gangland from authentic sources: designed to inculcate the most important principles of piety and virtue in young persons, and graphically portray the evils and sin of large cities, 1931. Al Capone remained part of Chicago's image long after his downfall, kept alive in popular memory by books, television, and movies, as well as by Geraldo Rivera's anticlimactic live television stunt in 1986, in which he had Capone's purported secret "vault" in the basement of the Lexington Hotel blasted open, revealing only an empty chamber. Reproductions of a lively 1931 Chicago gangland map have remained commercially available decades later. Despite the map's veneer of a pious educational purpose, its content provides vivid evidence of a degree of romance that some contemporaries attributed to the gang wars of the 1920s. It is a record of colorful patterns of vernacular speech that contributed to that aura of romance.

Description: Uprising of the communists in Russia. This is the first part of IH:s new Rise of Communism map pack.Present Development: Being a relatively complex map, there will be lots of work to balance the gameplay. Game dynamics and bonus values are under construction.

Description: A conquest map of the moon in the not-so-distant future, where 8 countries fight for the Helium-3 resources.Present Development: Gameplay is done, and graphics have been overhauled for the 3rd time. Text legibility has been under scrutiny.

Description: A conquest map of the CC clans, who battle each other for supremacy in a lost world.Present Development: Although gameplay has been stamped, some additional GP critique has inspired the mapmakers to tweak the starting troop and neutral values.

Description: A map of Coliseum, the arena for gladiators. Present Development: The map ran into trouble when the mapmaker lost the original file and had to start over from scratch. The map is back on track though, and now the visual style - including the 3d perspective - is being worked on.

Description: A standard gameplay geographical map of the Central America region.Present Development: Some final graphical tweaks are being made. This is also close to beta.

Some players may be wanting a break to watch the World Cup, but competition just gets more intense among the clans. We report on the Conqueror's Cup and Clan League as they enter quarters and semis, and we welcome Masli who has a new brief to keep this crazy schedule moving forward.

The Cup has come into its own in the quarter-finals. There is a long way to go in these 40-game match-ups but the early indications are that all of these will be hard-fought challenges with no easy wins, great gameplay and fierce competition between the combatants. The clans were hooked as soon as the Cup was launched, but few people could have predicted just how exciting it would become by this point. The first set consists of ten home games for each team and has been underway long enough for some of the challenges to be getting close to half way through.

C.C. THOTA vs. NemesisWill THOTA enter the semis short of match-practice? the Dispatch asked last issue. Well, we are not asking that any more. A better question might be: will THOTA enter the semis at all? Probably no more than a couple of games will separate the two clans after the first set. There are no signs of panic from the Horsemen yet, and they have a record of coming from behind, but full credit to the underdogs in this one. Full credit to those who have contributed to the challenge thread too. The big beasts of THOTA can trash-talk pretty fiercely when they are cornered, but the wit of freakns and pals has blunted their claws this time. http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=441&t=116327#p2572314

C.C - TOFU vs the LegionThere is one thing these guys agree on: their own clan is the best and their opponents are jumped-up pretenders who will be swept away by the powers of righteousness. Legion feel with some justification the CC community does not give them the credit their record deserves. They came into this challenge with all guns blazing. Result: a challenge thread so fierce it sometimes makes for uncomfortable reading, taking up the lead on trash talk just when KORT and Empire are running out of steam. Legion made a strong start in the games too, taking a small early lead. But this reporter knows from bitter personal experience that they will have to play like demons to carry their lead even as far as halfway through a challenge against TOFU, who are doing especially well on the specialist settings and gameplay of their home maps. http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=441&t=116032#p2566936

C.C. EMPIRE v KoRTA long-awaited challenge, it seems neither clan is going to be hurried into making mistakes, and the teams are going to play it out deliberately. We have had excitements with the doubles and singles – who is best at which form of Feudal/Waterloo/insert tricky map here? But this one is a slow burner. With scores close, the final half dozen games will decide who is leading by halfway, so it is all eyes now on the trips and quads. http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=441&t=115159

C.C. The Immortal Assassins v. Legends of WarBoth these clans present a business-like appearance to the outside world, and the perfectionist gameplay of their leading lights has set the tone for this challenge. Seeded fourth and fifth respectively in the Cup, both IA and LoW have come through seasons of change where they have quietly established their status as leading clans, particularly through their League performance, so it is important to each of them to win this. The competition is likely to be fierce right to the end - the first set may end even or with a small lead to LoW. http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=441&t=115426&start=0

Clan League - the semi-final playoffs

With the regular season over, the winners and second placed teams of divisions 1a and 1b have gone forward to the semi-finals of their playoffs, the winning clans to face each other for the title of division one champions. The pattern is repeated in division 2. Each match consists of 17 games, many dubs with a mix of trips and quads.

The divison two leaders are shaping up well. The Odd Fellows Union have dominated their games as they have done all season, this time against Legends of the Zone. Agents of Chaos are facing competiton and have a small lead over Divine Domination, with a few games to play.

In Division 1, it is a different story. The forums have fallen silent, there is an end to gossip, to flaming (almost) and to flirting (I am told, no-one flirts with me). Yes, the Bullet Proof Bandits have knuckled down to their games - and it is paying off. Immortal Assassins sent a tough set of home games to try pull the challenge back, but it is BPB who are getting the best of them, and look to be heading toward the final. A clever tactic played by BPB: superrag and mikiesdios have a top rep as a freemium dubs team - so why not put them up to premium when there are a rash of must-win dubs games coming up? Fiendish clever these Bandits.

Legends of War are not so boastful about their clever tactics as some clans. For now, they have a tough match on their hands against Knights of the Round Table. KORT are playing their deliberate pace again and there's a long way to go in this one, but be sure the games will be worth watching.

The Clan All-Star Teams

The Clan Directors have announced the MVP team for the regular season in the first post of the League thread: Clan League: Season 2 (2009-2010) - Info, Discussion, Q&ACongratulations to the 22 players who proved themselves best of the best week-in week-out over the year of competition.

The clans forum is alive with more than 15 active or recently completed challenges on top of the League and Cup games. Special congratulations to Disciples for Christ who have won their first challenge. At 18 games it was too short to count toward the clan ladder, but was well-judged to give them their first run-out. Victory must have been especially sweet as their opponents were Hell’s Messengers. Clan leader wercool commented:

How does it feel to get your first win?

wercool wrote:It feels good to beat the Hell's Messengers 10-8. It was two good teams both putting up a fight. We probably could have won by more but we didn’t fill some games and they dropped so they were awarded to HM. also it feels good to know how lucky we got in how good our members are.

What's next for DfC?

wercool wrote:We are currently deciding whether to take another challenge right now or to sit back and practice with our teamates. If anyone wants a war contact us and we can talk about it

What are the clans all about? Teamplay, innovation, competition, making online friends... Agentsmith88's latest project has those in spades. His tourney, born out of the clan forum, mixes up players (including some of the very best) from many different clans and teamplayers without a clan, throws them into a competitive draft and gives them a match schedule not far off the League or Cup. More than 100 players have signed up - and with sign-ups open till June 6th, you can check it out under the tournament tab.

AgentSmith88 wrote:The idea for the tourney came from a thread started in the clan forum by Grifftron of Memento Mori. His basic idea was to have some sort of league similar to the clan league, but with players from different clans mixed together. People commented and seemed to really love the idea, and the community tweaked the idea here and there. From all of these ideas I created a tournament that is a league that sort of combines a fantasy football league with the clan league. Each team leader will draft players and can trade players just like in a fantasy football league, but the format for playing games is like the clan league with a regular season and a playoffs.

I think this is a great way to play team games with new players and learn new techniques and maps from like-minded people. Plus everyone is excited to see where they get drafted! It should be a fun time had by all.

Editor's noteThe Platoon Report closed early this issue as staff writers retired to the Punch Tavern for an important editorial conference - check the forum threads for latest news.

The clans are growing - and they need a new director. jpcloet shifts up a step to Head Clan Director and announces a third player to sit alongside himself and Marval on the seats of power. Newly arrived to slave away thanklessly for your pleasure, depending on how you see it is - Masli. With over 6,000 games played and 40 medals to his credit, Masli is a popular and prominent member of Knights of the Round Table. He spoke to the Dispatch over banana daiquiris in the newsletter suite at CC Towers.

Why is KORT the best clan on CC?I think having a certain balance between having fun and playing the clan games very serious is perfect within KORT. A lot of people are forgetting this is just a game .

JP said he was bringing you on in anticipation of increased workload for the clan directors. Do you know what you will be doing as CD? Both Marval and JP had a very big workload with creating all those games for CLA season 2. As most clans will have noticed, I started keeping track of all the clan league scores last season. That will stay part of my workload and the rest is....well, you will see The clans have become a very big part on CC and each year the workload has increased.

What style should the clans expect from you? Quiet work in the background or loud voiced leading from the front? Well, I will not be on the background. I'm always very active in the forums and that will not change. But loud voiced leading the front.... not for now, maybe in the future. I like a cleaned up forum, so I will also be very active in keeping the Callouts and Clan forums uptodate.

You did great work updating the clan league results in the main thread on a freelance basis. What do you think of the league? I really liked doing that, I was already keeping track the same way for our own division and when I noticed the workload for JP and Marval I told them that I would like to help out if they wanted. The league is a great way to play many clans in a mini war. I love it like many other clan members, can't wait for next season. Will it be different ???? Just wait and see !

What's your favourite map or game-type on CC? I have several favourite maps. Game type will be doubs with loes (my favourite partner ), auto, seq, esc, chained, sunny

Do you have a message for the clans?Let's get the clans to a even higher level!